The Dance Of Life
The Dance of Life (called ‘Tsalgi’ by the Cherokee) has been danced for eons by the elders and spiritual leaders of the Cherokee tribe in order to hold the sacred space of their community and for the Earth. They shared it with the world when they recognized that their tribe was too small to hold the enormity of the shift that is happening on our planet. They also knew that whomever hears about this dance is a person whose Life is destined to be lived as a conscious thread in the tapestry of awakening.
After sharing this sacred dance hundreds of times at retreats and gatherings over the years, wonderful stories have come back to me, including a woman who danced it in the breathtaking wonder of Machu Picchu and another in the Vatican Square. People have taught their children, their parents and their friends. They have shared it on backpacking trips high in the Sierras and in city parks. A woman told me once that she did it in the morning hours at the mall where many senior citizens come to take their walks.
The dance encompasses seven directions (North, South, East, West plus the Earth below us, the Sky above us, and the Heart). We begin by grounding in the exact spot in the Universe and we discover ourselves to be, feeling the Earth beneath our feet and knowing that every single moment of our lives has brought us to wherever we are, to this dance and to this breath. Facing East, we then draw upon the nourishment of the Earth beneath us and connect it with the unending spaciousness above. Then we open to the inspiration of the East, the deep knowing that no matter what is happening in our lives, we are never alone. As we breathe the East into ourselves, we remember the truth that whatever has brought forth galaxies and dew drops is always with us. It permeates and penetrates every single moment of our lives. As we turn to the South, we meet the truth of trust and innocence. The South is about remembering that it is safe to show up for the living moment of our lives. Next we turn to the West to claim our destiny – the healing that we have come here to do for all beings. We recognize that each one of us is a completely unique expression of the living presence of Life. Remembering the awesome amount of creativity it took to bring us forth out of mystery, we claim our specific destiny, whatever it may be.
Standing there facing West, we turn to connect our destiny with the presence of the East, knowing that the key to showing up as ourselves comes from knowing we are not alone. As we make the turn into the North, we breathe in its heart wisdom and feel its presence radiating from every tree, rock, blade of grass and person. In this moment, we know that we have been brought forth by Love, we are breathed by Love and our destiny is to become Love. As we turn to connect the North with the trust of the South, we know that the compassion of the North will support us in showing up for Life and the safety and trust of the South will allow the Heart to bloom. As we turn full circle into the East again, we pause to ground as we get ready to dance another round.
One of the wonderful things about this dance is that all of the parts of the dance move through the Heart, the seventh direction. The Heart is the place of healing. The Heart is that which can hold it all: joy and despair, clarity and chaos; loving and hating; knowing and unknowing. In coming home to our Hearts, we become a part of the healing of our planet.
It can be helpful to dance each round with the intention of bringing the seven directions to a person, an organization and even a part of yourself. When I offer the dance, we usually dance the last round for all of the children of the world and for their children’s children – that they may never forget who they really are. We complete the dance by standing in sacred silence, and for those sacred minutes, we show up together for the moment that Life appears out of mystery.
If you are inspired to learn this exquisite dance, watch this video recorded at one of my retreats: Video. There is also a CD with the history, the description of the seven directions and guided directions on how to do the dance: Dance Of Life CD (scroll down a page or two).
You are Life waking up to itself. Know that you are not alone in your awakening. Know that at this exact moment you are reading, there are people – both individually and collectively – dancing our awakening all over the world. Breathe in this support so you too can know the joy of being fully alive.
Image of ‘Dancing Waters’ by Karen Noles www.karennoles.com